It was a woman who precipitated the famous “Palace Revolt” at Ferrari, in this case Laura Dominica Garello Ferrari, Enzo’s wife. As The Old Man became more withdrawn following the death of his beloved son Dino, Mrs. Ferrari’s involvement in the company increased. Petty, suspicious, and catty, Laura Ferrari was known to throw her weight around and stick her nose in anyone’s and everyone’s business. As the year of 1961 progressed, Ferrari sales manager Giorlamo Gardini became so tired of her nonsense he told Enzo he would leave the company if he didn’t do something about his wife’s interference. He was shown the door.

Incensed by Gardini’s dismissal, a number of Ferrari executives, including chief engineer Giotto Bizzarrini, technical director Carlo Chiti and racing team manager Romolo Tavoni, drafted a letter in support of Gardini. Not surprisingly, their opposition led to their immediate dismissal. With backing from the wealthy aristocrat Count Giovanni Volpi, the Ferrari cast offs started their own company — Automobili Turismo e Sport, or ATS — to beat Ferrari at his own game.

Unfortunately, the F1 car was a disaster. However, the road car — the ATS 2500 GT — was a revelation. Powered by Chiti’s 2.5-liter V8, the Franco Scaglione-styled coupe was built around a stressed tubular spaceframe, and debuted at the 1963 Geneva Motor Show. The engine shared its flat-plane crankshaft, dual overhead cam head design and — quite unusually for the time — its longitudinal mid-engine location with the F1 car’s 1.5-liter V8. Unfortunately, investors withdrew their financial support as problems mounted for the race and road car programs, resulting in just a dozen ATS 2500 GTs being built.

Now, more than 50 years after the demise of the original company, visitors to Salon Privé at England’s Blenheim Palace (August 31 - September 2) will be among the first to see a new ATS GT. The carbon-fiber supercar will be powered by a twin-turbo V8 mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, and built in Italy by a group led by the owner of the new Automobili e Turismo company, Daniele Maritan. Styled by ATS chief designer Emanuele Bomoboi, the ATS GT’s initial production run will span just 12 cars. With luck, it won’t be overshadowed by the original 2500 GT with which it will share a stand. — CAS